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Organolepsis Workshop
Sue Evans PhD
NZAMH Conference Christchurch May 2016
What’s organolepsis?
Using our senses to understand
character and quality of foods and other
substances
How do we do that?
Sight
smell
taste
touch
hearing
Medicinals as market produce
In Australasia herbs are
more this
than this
Taste
5 primary tastes
Bitter
Sour
Salty
Sweet
Umami(meaty/s
avory)
http://www.ablongman.com/html/psychplace_acts/olfaction/theories2.html
Smell
10 -100 million
olfactory
receptors
Can distinguish
10,000 odors
Low threshold
Fast adaptation
to smell
http://www.ablongman.com/html/psychplace_acts/olfaction/theories2.html
Here, today, how do we link
This
with this
The journey from plant to bottle
Factors affecting quality and character
Harvesting and processing
Harvesting and handling methods
Drying system and conditions
Processing methods – screening, cutting, milling
Parts of plant and form of final dried plant product
Storage time and conditions
Extraction process
Places where things can go astray
Timing of harvest
Red
Clover
Trifolium
pratense
• While the later harvest may contain more flowers, most are overmature
Post harvest handling
A large volume of fresh herb material
can rapidly generate heat and start
to compost.
• Flowers are most vulnerable.
• Leaves can also heat.
• Roots, barks are more stable.
• Drying needs to commence ASAP
after harvest.
Nettle
Urtica dioica
Dried inside
Dried in the field
Drying conditions
Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca
whole dried aerial parts (from
Australia)
1st screening leaf
Discarded
stem
Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca
cut aerial parts (from Croatia)
The parts of the plant
that have been included
in the final product
Krishna Tulsi
Ocimum sanctum
aerial parts
powdered
Powdered herbs more
difficult to assess
organoleptically
• Limited visual
assessment of powder
Echinacea
angustifolia
root
powdered
• Volatiles and unstable
components may be
lost, especially over
time